


LinkedUniverse AU One-Shots

by Clara_Parlato



Series: Kingdom of Mandacaru [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, I don't own the AU, LinkedUniverse, Multi, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2019-07-15 13:05:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16063751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clara_Parlato/pseuds/Clara_Parlato
Summary: There's an AU in Tumblr called LinkedUniverse, you should check it out!All these connect to Kingdom of Mandacaru.





	1. Peace

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Legend of Zelda fanfiction heavily inspired by @jojo56830 LinkedUniverse AU (Great AU, go check it!).

The Hero of Wind was young, courageous and  _lost_.  _Terribly lost_. He got lost from his mates maybe a few hours earlier. In a land with no daylight, it’s hard to know the time. Maybe Pops, the Hero of  _Time_ , would know…

Okay, making that joke with no one to laugh with him was  **not** funny.

Usually he would stay in one place waiting for the others, but his curiosity got the best of him, a curiosity that came out of nowhere, one thing leads to another, and suddenly he was in the middle of the woods, trying to find his friends, with only the, apparently, eternal moonlight to light the way.

_**Great**_.

Did he mention that the trees were actually  _alive_   _and trying to kill him?_

Yeah, put that on his list of misadventures as well.

They didn’t even look dangerous. They had no faces, or thorns, or weird auras or anything that could ring the hero’s alarm bells. Literally just trees. Just there. Trying to kill him with their roots and branches.

His cheek was bleeding, his arms were full of cuts and his clothes were torn. He had been walking for a long time - well, he felt like he had - and was tired. And he couldn’t even trust trees enough to take a nap near one. Being slapped to death by tree branches was  **not** the way he wanted to go, if he ever had a choice. It was not his day.

Err…  _Night_. It was not his night.

He was still mumbling about his misadventures when he heard something. Better yet, someone. A woman.  _Singing_. In the middle of the woods where trees were murderous and the shine of the moon was the only source of light.

“Please, don’t tell me I’m hallucinating.”

The boy followed the sound deeper into the woods, the trees seemly calmer than before. Soon he reached a small lake, the water reflecting the light of the big full moon. The place was extremely beautiful, with what appeared to be blue fire flies flying around, and big white flowers all around the body of water. The moonlight gave everything an ethereal appearance and a deep feel of… Something…. Somber. But what most caught the attention of the boy was the beautiful woman who was kneeling on the shores of the lake, humming a slow melodic tune, holding in her hands what seemed to be a piece of the sun. Her hair was extremely long, falling like a waterfall down the long dress until it reached the ground. He couldn’t feel anything dangerous about the woman. If anything, something in him was yearning for her, to be with her, to hold her hand and hear her soft voice fill the silence.

“Are you lost, little one?”

Her question came suddenly. The hero blinked owlishly for a few seconds before noticing the pair of silver eyes staring at him. The white-haired beauty smiled serenely, waiting for the blonde to answer her question. All he could do was nod.

“So am I.”

“Is… Is that a piece of the sun?”, was the only thing that came out of his mouth.

“It’s a piece of what’ve I lost.”, her smile turned sad and his heart was pierced by the need to comfort her. She took the object to her right ear and the boy realized that the “piece of the sun” was nothing more than an earring. A silver earring with a crystal shining a golden light and a sun hanging from it.

“Your ears are round.”, it was true, her ears were round which meant she wasn’t a hylian, “Are you a human?”

“Yes. I’m guessing humans aren’t very common in your home.”, the blonde blushed a little, looking down. Sometimes he said things without thinking, “I am not offended, little hero.”

“How…?”

“I’m aware of a lot of things. For example, you were hurt by the trees.”, He nodded, looking back at the woman, “Come here, let me heal you, little hero.”

And, against everything his friends and his own adventures taught him, the Hero of Wind walked closer to the strange lady. With no hesitation or doubts. The lad couldn’t help it. It felt like some part of him was crying, screaming, imploring for him to go near her. When he finally was close enough for her to touch him if so she wished, one, and only one, emotion took over him.

**Peace.**

He was in peace. Every bad or conflicting emotion vanished, all fear, all anger, all sadness, all worry, everything just vanished and the boy was able to experience, for the first time in a long time, pure peace.

The lady touched his bleeding cheek softly and he closed his blue eyes, leaning more in her touch, not holding back the content smile. His eyes did not open when her arms wrapped around him in a comforting hug. Nor did they open when she started to sing again. And closed they remained when he fell asleep in her arms.

The next thing he heard was the Hero of Twilight telling him to wake up. Opening his eyes, the little hero wondered where he was. Still near the lake. Great. It was daytime. Awesome. But what about her?

“What are you looking for?”, The Hero of Twilight wondered, giving up on asking why youngest of the group was sleeping so far away from their camp afer being ignored a few times.

“The lady who helped me. She had a really long hair and shining eyes.”

“Was she pretty?”, questioned the Hero of Warriors.

“ _Very_.”

“Ah, I still remember the first time I dreamt with a girl. I was your age. Granted, I didn’t dream about an imaginary one, but still.”

“Pops, Capitan is being weird again.”, a very indignant “hey!” came from the Hero of Warriors, “And she was very much real.”

“What did she look like?”, this time the question came from the Hero of Time.

“She had the longest whitest hair, the softest dark skin, and the most silver eyes. Her voice was the sweetest and… Her aura was so peaceful and her smile was so serene I was engulfed in pure peace. It was like everything bad just melted until there was nothing more than peace inside me.”

His expression, with eyes closed and a bright smile, was so blissful; they didn’t have the heart to not believe in him. Instead they prayed for the Goddesses to, if possible, send them that miraculous lady to bring them some peace.

Hylia knew how much they needed it.


	2. Breathtaking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I came up with nicknames (and who uses them) for the Links so I didn’t get confused while writing, and so you guys are not confused while you read. Here they are:
> 
> Time: Pops, sir (Sky and Hero), boss (Warriors when being sassy/salty), grandpa and old man (both usually by Twilight).  
> Twilight: Leader, second in command (Warriors and Legend), heartbreak brother (Warrior when drunk), big brother (Wind), pup and puppy (both by Time).  
> Warriors: Capitan, womanizer (specially Legend), weirdo (Wind), clean freak (is a joke between him and Legend because Legend is just as bad).  
> Four Swords/Minish: Shorty (Warrior, to annoy him, but he actually likes it), master smith (Sky and Hero), green (usually when divided), picori hero (Time), little one (Time and Twilight), mister smith (Wind).  
> Wind: Little hero (everyone except for Minish), little brother (Twilight, to play along), boat boy (Warrior), navigator (he’s really proud of this one), conductor (and this one too).  
> Wild: Wild (no joke, they’re sometimes afraid of what will happen if they leave him alone for too long), Hunter, pyromaniac (Warrior mostly), champ/champion, mister cook.  
> Legend: Veteran, clean freak (Warrior), show off (also Warrior), collector.  
> Hero (of Hyrule): Belt (Warrior), Ace (when they don’t know what to do, they turn to him, because somehow he will know what they need do to. I mean, have you played the first two games?), adventurer.  
> Sky/Chosen One: Mister, knight, Hylia’s favorite (Warrior and Legend mostly, as a joke), lover boy (when he starts talking about Zelda).

“Did he vanish again?”, The Hero of Twilight wondered, noticing someone was missing from the group.

“Yup. Boat boy has another date with the beautiful lady no one but he can see. It’s the third time this week.”, The Hero of Warriors sighed, “I’m kinda worried he’s either hallucinating or something is messing with him.”

“Like a witch?”, The Hero of Legend asked.

“Witches don’t usually do things like that… Wizards maybe, but not witches.”, The Hero of Minish said, casting a worried look to the Hero of Time, “Shouldn’t one of us go searching for him, Pops? It’s dark, and while I don’t doubt his skills, it’s not good to be alone at night. Specially in this forest.”

“What do you mean?”, The Chosen Hero lifted an eyebrow.

“It doesn’t really looks like it, but the nights in this forest are longer than the days.”, Pops explained while looking at the full moon, “We should really look for him. I’ve never been here before, so I’m not sure what’s in these woods. I’m not even sure if we are still in Hyrule. Until now we had luck he was unharmed and a few meters away from the camp, but we might not be so lucky this time.”

“I’ll go. I saw the direction he took and I don’t think he’s gone too far away.”, The Hero of Hyrule offered.

“I’ll go with you, Ace.”, The Hero of Wild decided, only I be shot down by the other.

“No need.”, Fishing a small, shiny purple rock from a pouch in his belt, Ace smiled, “This is an interesting thing I found in the village we visited before entering the forest. It’s a transportation rock. It will warp anyone or anything to wherever the other rock is.”, Giving the rock to Pops, he showed the group another very similar rock, “If we don’t come back, say, in three hours, use it. You just need to hold it and wish to leave.”

“So this is how you kept startling me coming out of nowhere!”

“I’m not sorry, Capitan.”

Laughing at his friend’s expense Ace waved goodbye to his mates and entered deeper into the woods. He walked for what seemed to be hours, but he knew it couldn’t be, or Pops and the others would be with him already. The more he walked, darker the way got. At least the trees were calmer than the nights before. As funny as seeing some of his friends getting startled by sudden branch slaps was, he would rather not stay too much time near them.

The man was getting even more worried after what he judged be an hour. No sign of the missing boy. He sighed. A sound reached his pointy ears. Giggling. The Hero of Wind. It was definitely his giggles.

“Well, he’s fine, at least.”, Ace mumbled, sighing relieved.

He followed the sound and found himself in a rather peculiar clearing. The trees circled around a stone floor. The moonlight illuminated the whole stone, showing the markings written in both hylian and an unknown language. Blue fireflies and fairies danced with each other. The fairies were different from hylian ones, their skin was a deep shade of blue, their hair a pale yellow, their dresses were iridescent, as well as their wings and they emitted a pale bluish glow. Sometimes they flew so high it almost looked as if they were stars dancing. But the most breathtaking thing in the picture wasn’t the beautiful fairies, or the big full moon, or the glow of the fireflies, or the shiny smile on the face of the Hero of Wind threatening to split his overjoyed face in half while he twirled around with the fairies and the fireflies and the moon, following the patterns marked in stone and making them light up softly in yellow.

It was the white haired, dark skinned young lady with a white dress and no shoes twirling with the little hero. The man then remembered the words of the youngest of the heroes.

_“She had the longest whitest hair, the softest dark skin, and the most silver eyes. Her voice was the sweetest and… Her aura was so peaceful and her smile was so serene I was engulfed in pure peace. It was like everything bad just melted until there was nothing more than peace inside me.”_

The brunette gasped at the sudden memory and the otherworldly scene, alerting the two dancers. He felt disappointed, something in him wanted to watch them dancing for a longer time. The lady looked directly at him, silver eyes watching him with soft amusement. The moonlight made her hair shine ethereally, like it was actually made of light.

“Seems like someone came for you, little hero.”, She spoke to her little partner in dance, smile in her face, eyes still glued on the unexpected guest, “Hello, Hero of Hyrule. I’m sorry, didn’t notice it was already time for him to go back.”

Something told the young man it wasn’t the little hero who told her his title.

“It was beautiful.”

Something just compelled him to say that. Probably the same thing telling him to get closer to her, to make her talk again to him, to do anything to keep her eyes on him. He had already taken a few steps in her direction when reason finally came back to him, making him stop in his tracks. But no reasoning in the world would be able to take his eyes away from her, and it was proven when his friend held his hand, giggling, and he did not look at him.

“Thank you.”, Now was her turn to giggle. It didn’t sound like bells and neither was it melodic, but the young woman was laughing with her heart, so it was beautiful, “You are a hero too, don’t doubt yourself so much.”, The comment came out of nowhere, and it couldn’t have warmed his heart more.

“Thank you, that’s nice to hear.”

“I’ll make sure to remind you of that if we ever meet again.”, With a last smile, she turned around and entered deeper into the woods, some fairies and fireflies following her, illuminating her way with their glow, disappearing between the tree trunks.

Ace lifted the purple rock, holding it tightly, gave a smile to his friend, who in return grinned teasingly, and activated it. In a few seconds, they were back in the camp. Right next to the fire, near Pops.

“Well, hello, Ace, little hero.”, The older man greeted with a chuckle, “We were almost going after you two. It’s been two and a half hours.”

“Sorry, I’m not as good with time as you, Pops.”, The little hero retorted playfully.

“So? Did you see her? The mysterious lady really does exist?”

“Weirdo, are you saying I was lying?!”

“Now, now, there’s no need to fight.”, The Chosen Hero tried to appease his friends, “He thought you were hallucinating, we all were worried something was casting a spell on you.”

“Well, then you all will be relieved to know I’m not hallucinating, right, Ace?”

“So you saw the lady!”

“Yes, I did, Captain.”, Ace sat down between the Hero of Legend and Minish, “She looks just like our navigator described. They were dancing with fairies and fireflies in some kind of stone platform.”

“It’s a music box to calm down the trees. You can only hear the music if you’re the one playing it, because then your heart is open to the sound, it’s supposed to reach the hearts of the listeners, so ears can’t hear it. She told me.”

“That explains why the trees were calmer.”

“Lucky, we almost got ambushed by them while setting up camp.”, Wild grumbled, the slaps and pokes from earlier still fresh in his memories.

“And?”

“And what, Captain?”

“And how was it, belt?”

“It was…”, He closed his eyes, sighing dreamily, blessing the group with a smile so sweet, it could rival and maybe even surpass the Chosen Hero’s smiles. His next word came in a breathy whisper, like someone sharing a happy memory with a loved one, “ **Breathtaking**.”

Once again none of them had the heart to not believe what their friend told them. Not when he was making such a blissful expression.


	3. Understandable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was understandable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t like moonless nights… Anyways, it’s nice to post one of these once in a blue moon. I wasn’t sure if I should post this in my main blog (where the other two fanfictions are), or here, but since it’s a crossover between Linkeduniverse and Kingdom of Mandacaru, I’ll post this here…

The Hero of Twilight carried his burdens silently most of the time. Everyone knew that, they suspected he got that trait from the Hero of Time, who carried his burdens silently all of the time, but most of them couldn’t really say anything, for they all have done the same at some point. They guessed it was a hero thing, to try and bear with the weight of the world alone, to try protecting the people around them from things the heroes themselves wished they hadn’t witnessed.

That made his seriousness understandable, just like it made the Hero of Wild frenetic behavior, bordering on paranoia, on moonless nights understandable (something to do with a desert, he never told the whole story), or the sudden heartbreakingly sad smiles that sometimes appeared on the Chosen Hero’s face, or the thousands of secrets the Hero of Time kept to himself.

It was  _understandable_.

What they couldn’t understand was why he was smiling so gently that morning.

Now, being serious does not mean someone can’t be gentle or kind, Pops was the living proof of it. And they had seen Leader smile like that before, usually towards the Hero of Wind or some cat he found wandering around, so it wasn’t really something new. It wasn’t surprising.

Surprising was how the smile stayed on his face for more than a few minutes. In fact, he was smiling for maybe an hour. He also looked weightless, like he was floating a few inches off the ground and not trying to get out of a forest filled with murderous trees. It was like watching a child daydream about a day of playing with their friends, or a lover wishfully think about their future with their special one. If Navigator or Knight were the ones doing that, the group would simply shake their heads playfully and even chuckle a bit, but seeing Leader act so out of character was… Weird.

“Alright, enough is enough, what’s with you, second in command?”

“Can’t believe I’m agreeing with this womanizer, but you’re not acting like you usually do, second, and it’s a little disconcerting.”

The others agreed silently with the Hero of Legend, watching the always serious man turn to them with a blinding smile and joy in his dark eyes. It was like looking at the ranch boy he once was, the one with no other worries other than making sure the goats were fine and where they should be and playing time to time with the kids together with his childhood friend. The one the group only knew through the stories shared by the fire. It was weird, that wasn’t the same man they knew, but he was, at the same time. Only with a lighter world on his shoulders.

He glanced at them silently, stopping his stare on the youngest of them and the Hero of Hyrule.

“The longest white hair, the sweetest voice…”, He started, his smile spreading on the other two faces.

“And the prettiest silver eyes.”, Ace finished, eyes now full of joy.

“You met her too! You did!”, The excited lad wasn’t asking, “How was it? Isn’t she beautiful? Isn’t she nice? Did she sing for you?”

“No, we only talked. Well, she talked and I listened.”

“And what did she say to you? Definitely something good, I assume.”

“Just enough to soothe an aching heart and bring memories of simpler days.”

“Wait, wait, hold on, you met the mysterious lady too?”, Captain received a nod and, scrunching his nose, he couldn’t help but ask, “What is a lady doing wandering around this dangerous forest in the middle of the night? All alone, on top of it…”

“I don’t think she has to worry about the forest, Captain. If anything, the forest seems calmer when she’s near.”

“She sings to the trees lullabies about love, time and grand adventures. It soothes whatever is nearby.”, Was the explanation provided by the youngest hero, “There are also the music boxes made specially for that.”

“This forest truly is something else.”, Pops mused, “Next time you see the lady, tell her she is welcome to join us in our travel. It’s dangerous to be alone, even with enchantments strong enough to placate wolves.”

The playful glare Leader shot him was nothing new, the two bantered like grandfather and grandson a lot.

“But what did she tell you for you to practically float around like a love struck fool? You’re worse than Captain when he manages to not get rejected.”

“Well, at least I have what it takes to actually go talk to girls, clean freak.”

“Stop bickering, you two. I want to hear the pup.”

“She told me stories of hope and freedom. I don’t remember much, and I have no intentions of telling what I do remember.”, He smiled softly at the pout in his little brother’s face, “You know the feeling of drinking warm soup in a chilly night? Or the feeling of telling stories by the fire with your friends? Running around, the breeze in your hair, heart beating loudly in your ears? The feeling of not having to worry about tomorrow?”

“Feels like home.”, The Hero of Wind whispered, only loud enough to be heard, as if he didn’t wanted to shatter the heartwarming peace the other was. The two heroes smiled to each other, then to Ace like they were sharing a secret. Like they understood. They did.

The group watched the three heroes share the same expression, brilliant smiles and blissful peace in their eyes. For a few moments, they wished nothing but to meet the mysterious lady, in hopes of her bringing some peace to their tired souls.


	4. Dreamlike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It felt like a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooooh!! Things are getting interesting!! I was hesitating a little on posting this one, but pretty much no one reads the main story (that I know), so fucking take this spoiler, whatever. See if I care. (I care, please read the fanfiction #shamelesspromoXD)
> 
> Anyways, this was a little bit harder to write than the others because it was Link with himself, lost in his feelings and musings. It’s my personal headcanon that all Links are somehow connected by their soul (same soul, different person, kinda like Kagome and Kikyou). Following this, it makes sense for Sky to be more strongly connected to the first Link than the others, like Twili is connected more strongly to Time e tals. I also headcanon that the second hero (Skyward Sword) feels guilty because he believes he could’ve stopped Demise from throwing the curse that not only forces his soul to reborn, but to forever fight against evil. (News flash: he couldn’t. The Goddesses, the lazy pieces of shit, could, if they are oh so powerful as Zelda keeps telling us, but that’s a distaste of mine I’ll have to comment on some other time (that rhymed)).

“She looks so fragile, like a dream.”

Were the first words the chosen hero said that morning. His tone soft, barely there. Like an autumn breeze, like a secret whispered before bed. It would not have reached the ears of the others even if he wanted to, and, if the Chosen Hero was to be honest with himself, he did not want it to.

Was it foolish of him? To withhold information from his friends? To let them in the dark about the mysterious lady that came and went surely like the moon?

Was it selfish of him? To deny his friends of knowledge? To wish to keep to himself his encounter with the mesmerizing lady that glowed softly like the moon?

He looked at his group, watching they wake up. Some woke up willing; others grunted and complained under their breaths. Having the weight of the world on their backs made their biological clock adjust to a very strict schedule. Get up with the sun. Don’t sleep before the moon is high on the sky. And pray, every day before sleep, so the Goddesses may take pity on you and grant a dreamless night. Dreamless. Like death.

Dreams were dangerous when you carried the world on your back.

“Hyrule, not the world.”, He mumbled, denying his companions the sound of his musings once more.

Dreams were dangerous when you carried the Kingdom of Fate on your back. Most times they were premonitions of grand things that were to come. Good or bad. Grand. If not, they were hellish nightmares. About the past or the future. Hellish.

One of the reasons the rational part of his brain didn’t want to pass it off like a mere dream. The others being his friends past encounters with her and the sharp aching in his soul.

“Not exactly mine, his.”, He reminded himself.

His soul. The Chosen Hero could feel it. The Spirit of the Hero. It was aching for her, like one’s heart would when away from loved ones. If –  _when_  he closed his eyes, the blonde could almost see him. The very first hero. Chosen by Hylia when she was still allowed to roam the world. Blue eyes and blonde hair, clad in green. Smiling longingly.

The hero, eyes still closed, thought about the lady he held so close to his heart a few minutes (hours?) ago. The feelings were not his, but the first hero’s. The bittersweet warmth in his chest. The sharp aching in his heart.

The same feelings he had when searching for his Zelda, many years ago, when the world he carried was lighter, when he was still just a  _boy_. When the title of “hero” wasn’t truly his, but of the one who had come before him. When his soul was free from the curse. When he didn’t feel guilty for letting the ones that came after him suffer the same date again and again. The numbing taste of loss and the relentless sense of failure. The shame of letting things happen, the silly belief he could’ve actually done something. Anything. Silly.

And the promise of a reunion, burning inside him. Them? Inside both of them? Maybe the others? Maybe all of them? Hopefully, no.

And hopefully yes.

Because while it brought a bitter shade of devastation, the promise also brought a bright taste of hope. And hope, delicious, colorful, freeing hope wasn’t something the heroes were familiar with anymore. They hoped, yes, but never for a nice day without rain, or for food at a plausible price, or for a nice chat with a good friend. They hoped that the wars would end, that evil would pay, that the kingdom would be saved. And, echoing in a ridiculously small part of their beings, they hoped that they would survive the quest with at least both legs (or just both arms, they weren’t picky. They forgot how to). The feeling might not have been as strong in the younger as it was in the older ones, but it was there. He could see in their eyes.

“Oi, Hylia’s favorite, are you ok?”

He could feel in their soul. How could he not?

“I’m fine, Veteran. Just thinking.”

It was also his soul.  _Their soul._

“Judging by your face, thinking of Zelda again.” The Hero of Legend smirked, happy to tease someone so early in the morning in hopes of making someone as grumpy as him, “What romantic scene were you daydreaming about, lover boy?”

Thinking about it, made sense for them to act so awestruck. To yearn for her presence. To feel such peace when near her. To have their breath taking when watching her. To immediately understand each other when she is the matter.

“I’m thinking about love, yes, but not exactly mine.”

It wasn’t exactly her.

“Oh, have you found someone who is crazy enough to consider being with this clean freak here?”

“Hey!”

It was her soul. Resonating with theirs.

“Now that’s quite hard. A feat, really. ”

“Not you too, Belt!”

The Chosen Hero smiled his soft smile, certain that they would recognize the expression of one who had met the mysterious girl with white hair and silver eyes. The bliss. The understanding. He wasn’t going to tell them what he knew, not yet. Not until they all met her. Not until she gave them a dose of hope. It would be just more weight on their shoulders.

“How was it?”, He heard the Hero of Wind mumble. None of them took their eyes from their friends bickering.

The blonde closed his eyes, mind full of her. Her voice, her touch, her squeaking giggle, her smile, her eyes. Hylia, he wished his Zelda was there. He was sure she would cry of happiness when she finally felt the connection between herself and the dark skinned beauty. The hero himself almost did.

“It felt…”

The Spirit of the Hero was vibrating with happiness. He could understand why the very first hero was so full of joy. After all…

“…  _Dreamlike_.”

It’s not every day one sees their soul’s very first love.


	5. Rememberance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It took him a little more than a hundred years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, this one is a little different from the others. Instead of being the actual encouter with the lady, or the aftermath of said encouter, it is mostly a memory from the past. No other Links around, only the two of them, just like the memory.

 “ _Don’t make that face, hero. You’ll be wrinkly too early.”_

_Link looked at him with a deadpan expression, the vivid blue of his eyes betraying him, letting the other know how much the sudden distraction was appreciated. Dreams were dangerous when you carried the world on your back. Daydreams were dangerous when you carried others on your heart._

_“Stop, just stop. I can hear your thoughts resounding inside your mind.”_

_The punch delivered into the blonde-haired boy’s head had not a lot of strength; it hurt however more than if it had, for it brought guilty into his already heavy heart. As much as he wished not to, he couldn’t help himself. Falling in the pit his beloved friend called “Hero’s Complex” was something his soul was accustomed with. Because it was his duty to save everyone, given to him by Hylia herself, entrusted to him by her followers. He was the savior, the protector, the defender, the one who would open the path so the kingdom could find hope. If he failed, he would be failing so many people. So many innocent people. He would be robbing them of hope. He would be no better than the enemies he fought so arduously._

_“The world is too heavy for any of us to carry it alone, my friend.”_

_A cold hand was placed on top of the blond mop of hair. Even under the sun of Hyrule, the white haired male was still colder than the hylian. Fingers ghosted Link’s forehead, coldness making the burning thoughts run to the back of his mind. Link closed his eyes; he could see the smile on his friend’s silver eyes._

_“You’re not alone, Link. Let us help you carry the world.”_

_Link did not dare to open his eyes. He didn’t like to hear his friend beg. He didn’t want to see his friend beg. Of all the people he knew, of all the people he let into his courageous heart, the boy Zelda called “brother” was the one Link never wished to see without a smile. The human the hero himself recognized as an older brother. The one his soul so dearly longed for._

_A sigh was heard._

_“I sure hope you understand one day, even if it takes us going to the next life.”_

He opened his eyes, staring at the soft silver eyes and the adoring smile. The long white hair was like a curtain, hiding him from the world.

“I’m sorry you had to wait so long, Anoi…”

She shook her head. Adjusting his head on her lap, her cold fingers rested on the blond fringes. Coldness making the guilty run to the back of the Hero of the Wild’s mind.

“It’s fine, my friend.”

“That’s not your name anymore, is it?”

“Afraid not, dear.”

“Will you tell me your name?”

“I did.”

It was his time to shook his head. He could only hope the next one was able to do what he didn’t. To see what he didn’t. To understand that this being, this being whose life was intense and ephemeral as the flame of a candle, should not be taken for granted.

It took him a little more than a hundred years.


	6. Ridiculous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did ya miss me? I know you didn’t but eh.
> 
> By the way, Veteran is the nickname for the Hero of Legend.

“Ah, it’s my turn, finally?”

“It seems so.”

“So, what’s gonna be? Peace? Some ego boosting? A vision of a dimension where bad things don’t happen?”

“Is that what you wish when you look at the moon? Inner peace? Validation? Consolation?”

Veteran smiled, the years lived and battles witnessed settling in his eyes. Silently, he sat down by the lady’s side. She was truly a sight, with her long white hair and silver eyes contrasting beautifully with her dark skin and dark dress. He didn’t remember much about humans, them being rare in Hyrule, but from what he did remember, the round ears proved he was talking to one.

“I didn’t expect to see a human around here.”

“I didn’t expect to see different reincarnations of the same soul around here either.”

“Fair enough.” He shrugged, having seen enough to easily accept whatever weird situation Fate threw at him. “Our little hero said you’ve been looking for something… We can help, you know?”

“I do. But I would only hold you and your group back.”

“How so?”

“I can’t travel under sunlight for more than a few hours. Makes me sick.”

The man stared at her curiously, watching her eyes fill with fond nostalgia, watching the starry night as if seeing the blue sky of a sunny day. She was in peace with her situation but willing to try to change it. Closing his eyes and leaning back on the tree they were sitting under, he let the silence consume his mind.

It was nice to actually have a silent moment. If he were to lie to himself, he would say he didn’t remember the last time that happened. If he were to be honest, he would recall the day as if he were still living it. It was a normal day, a repeat of the day before, that was too a repeat of the day before, that was too a repeat of the day before, that was too a repeat of the day before. A routine he knew by heart. A routine he longed for in his heart. It would always be ironic how much he wished to have back something he once prayed so much to be free of.

Don’t get him wrong, he would say if he were to tell a half-truth, he loved what he did—could do without the paranoia and the crushing weight of the need to save every soul even when it’s impossible, part of him admitted—and he wouldn’t exchange that for nothing. However, the calm and the silence were nice company time to time.

“Man, you’re good, lady.”

“Silence is one of the most underrated gifts.”

“You can say that again.”

Eyes still closed, the hero let his memory run loose. His adventures played in front of him, all the pain, all the laugh, all the struggle, all the victory. The people he’s met appeared, one after other, smile after smile, grimace after grimace, dread after dread, hope after hope. Some of the memories, though, seemed different.

He could faintly hear someone, a girl, talking in between giggles—that sounded a lot like a mouse squeaking—about how unladylike her behavior was, and how she should stop immediately before he put her through more of his ridiculous schemes. He could see white hair up in a bun and silver eyes beaming up to him. He could feel delicate and cold fingers tracing his jawline softly, afraid of hurting his face even more.

His adventures were not faced alone, no; he had some help along the way.

Especially from a certain girl that he somehow forgot about.

“Magic, hero, magic is the start of the answer.”

“The start?”

“There are many reasons.”

“You really like being mysterious, don’t you?”

“He says it’s quite charming.”

“Who?”

“The one I’ve been looking for.”

“Oh? A lover, I presume?”

She giggled again— _again?_ —and he heard rustling, probably the woman getting up. He could imagine her, smiling sweetly at the moon, not minding the rather cool breeze massing her white locks.

“Going so soon?”

_“Before you drag me in another of your ridiculous schemes, silly hero.”_

_Opening his eyes, he threw a cheeky grin to the dark-skinned girl. She was staring at him fondly, silver eyes shining with that same soft happiness he knew he could find behind her “ladylike” barriers. Getting up from where he sat under the shade of the old tree, he approached the girl, watching as she arched an eyebrow and gave a few steps back. Hands on her hips, back straight and head up proudly, she was the spitting image of a scolding big sister._

_“You would look more threatening if you weren’t so short.”_

_“You’re just too tall.”_

_“The Princess is taller than me, Layla.”_

_Layla huffed, turning and walking away, her long pink dress swaying with the cool breeze. Link laughed, shaking his head, before catching up with her so they could walk together. The trees exchanged secrets with the wind, the sound of their hushed whispering serving as a lullaby for the tired and background noise for the not so tired._

_“Link?” The hero hummed to let his friend know she had his attention. “You better return after every adventure, or I’ll go bring you back myself.”_

_“That won’t be very ladylike of you, will it?”_

_“Promise me, Link.”_

_“Have a bit of faith in me, woman. Of course I will come back.”_

_Layla smiled again, and, while he didn’t had the habit of breaking promises, that one was a promise he intended to keep, no matter how difficult it would be. It is hard to not have faith in yourself when someone you carry dearly in your heart have so much faith in you._

_“I’ll come back and you better be here when I do.”_

_“Always.”_

“Then I’ll see you soon.”

Veteran opened his eyes, watching the night give its place to the day. Sitting alone under the shade of a tree that thankfully wasn’t trying to kill him, the hero didn’t even bother to move. His friends would find him there, he was sure of it.

While he waited for them, he would bask in the light memories of an ephemeral past.

While he waited for the day to come, he would let himself dream about what was.

While he waited for the next night, he would let himself hope for what would be.

Heh,  _him and his ridiculous thoughts._


	7. Stubborn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did ya miss me? I know you didn’t but eh. Two more one shots to go and y’all will meet the Link of my AU~ Cool guy, that one.
> 
> By the way, Capitan is the nickname for the Hero of Warriors.

“You know, I’m usually smart.”

“I know.”

“Bugs just can be very sneaky.”

“Believe me, I know.”

Capitan sighed, enjoying the gentle caress of cold fingers.

“Bitten by a normal-sized bug, now that’s an anticlimactic way to go.”

“The venom is not strong enough to kill, but the excruciating pain it causes certainly would do a lot of damage.” A giggle. “It’s a quite rare bug around here, by the way.”

“Just my bad luck. It must’ve come with the Triforce, I swear.”

“I’m tempted to agree.”

Capitan looked directly at the beautiful lady whose lap now served as his pillow. When he went to catch some wood, the last thing he expected was to be bitten by a freaking bug. One of the small ones, that someone could kill with a shoe instead of a sword. Another sigh passed through his lips; at least he managed to see the mysterious lady that, in fact, wasn’t all that mysterious anymore.

“I remember you, my good friend. Well, not you, but…  _You_.”

The woman smiled sweetly at him, carefully brushing his bangs aside.

“One of my loudest incarnations, for sure.”

“I’m not a big fan of silence, anyways.” He sent her a boyish smile. Silence was a blessing and a curse, depending on whomever you ask. He chose to call is a curse. “But why couldn’t I remember before? And why some of us still can’t?”

“The Goddesses are not very fond of me and the feeling is mutual.” It was her turn to sigh, and the hero could see that she too carried a world in her back. Somehow, instead of sympathy for another person carrying a heavy weight, he felt the want to take her weight away. “Some of you are more attached to the timeline than others.”

“Timeline?”

“It’s complicated. I’m afraid we won’t have much time to talk about it.”

And she was correct. Sunlight was starting to wake up the world.

“Come with us.”

“I can’t.”

“I’ll carry you so you can sleep. We can walk in the shadow of the trees.”

“Compelling, but no.”

“Is stubbornness a universal trait of yours?”

“As it is yours.”

Rustling came from some bushes, and next thing Capitan knew, the Hero of the Minish was walking in their direction, soft eyes focused on silver ones. He smiled, completely ignoring his friend, and kneeled near the woman, taking her hand in his.

“You’re as beautiful as I remember, my friend.”

“The flirting is new.”

They laughed, Shorty finally looking at Capitan, who smirked as he sat up. Yes, he could feel it. The pull towards that woman’s soul. The need to be with her. The sadness of leaving her once again. The hope of meeting her some next time.

The Spirit of the Hero could never let go of these feelings.

No, it could never let go of its love, for never had any soul loved with such intensity, in so many ways.

“Will we remember this?”

“Maybe.”

“In this life, I mean.” Shorty arched one brow, not bothering to hide the longing in his eyes.

“Maybe. Stubbornness is a trait your soul carries.”

The two blonds watched as she got up, the long white hair falling as a veil, the light blue dress showing off her gorgeous dark skin. She smiled once more before turning away and leaving, the promise of a reunion resting where once she sat.

Yes, the Spirit of the Hero would forever cling to her memory.

Stubbornly.


	8. Friend

_“You shouldn’t bite more than you can chew, specially in that size, Link.”_

_The boy choked on the piece of break he’d been trying to stuff on his mouth. Coughing, he turned around, only to meet a really big face. Startled, he yelped and fell on his bum, before Ezlo reminded him of his size, calming down his nerves as the truth of him being very small and not in the house of a giant entered his mind. He took a look at the face in front of him. A very pretty man was looking directly at him, silver eyes shining kindly. His chin rested on the table so he could take a better look at the boy. His white hair was long and straight. His skin was dark. His ears were round. His smile was beautiful._

_“You… can see me?”_

_“Yes. Don’t feel bad about the bread, Link, I left it for the Minish.”_

_“You know me?”_

_Link certainly didn’t knew the man. He would’ve remembered a handsome young adult like him. And there was no doubt that he’d stand out in Hyrule, no matter how weird its inhabitants seemed. Although, he did feel like he was familiar. Like an old memory._

_“Yes. Well, not you, but_ you _._ _As in, I know your soul.”_

_“My… soul?”_

_“You know of reincarnation, Link?”_

_“When a soul dies and is reborn in a new body, with no memories of her past self, that is reincarnation.” Ezlo answered promptly. There was a hint of respect in his voice, as if he was speaking with someone whose knowledge was beyond his understanding. “But you’re are one of the exceptions, right, my lord?”_

_“Call me Lusco. And yes.”_

_“Is that why you look familiar even though I’ve never seen you?”_

_“Yes. Your soul remembers mine.”_

_“Cool! And what were we in other lives?”_

_“Well, that depends. In some lives we were lovers, in others we will be friends, in other adoptive relatives.”_

_“And what are we in this life?”_

_“Depends. What do you want to be?” He smiled and Link couldn’t help but smile back. “I’m too old to be your lover, and I’m sure the lovely Zelda wouldn’t appreciate me stealing you from her.” A blush painted the young Hylian’s face and ears and Lusco chuckled. “How about we start as friends and see how it goes?”_

_“Sure! I’d love to be your friend!”_

_“Right back to you, my friend.”_

* * *

 

“What are you smiling for, Shorty?”

“Nothing, Captain. Just a fun memory from my first adventure.”

“Why do I feel like I can guess what it is about?”

“It’s because your soul knows.”

They exchanged smiles, looking at the Moon, watching it give place to the Sun while they waited for their team to reach them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote that poem/song myself, so if you could pretty please not steal it, it’d be much appreciated.

_“Round and round_

_Round and round_

_Goes the windmill_

_Never stopping_

_Not once it will_

_Comes the storm_

_Comes the star_

_Comes the cloud twirling on the sky_

_Not once stopping_

_Their dancing_

_Comes the snow_

_Comes the rain_

_Comes the wind rushing by_

_Never stopping_

_Not once they will_

_Goes and goes_

_Goes and goes_

_Never stopping windmill_

_Round and round still”_

 

“I’d play my ocarina, but I have no wish to bring a storm tonight.”

“Then, why not join me singing, for old time’s sake?”

“And tarnish your singing with my rough voice? No, thank you.”

She giggled. It sounded like a mouse squeaking. Very different from what he remembered, but then again, no matter what, it was a different person standing in front of him. Instead of bouncing curls stopping on her chin, gentle waves of white hair cascaded past below her shoulders. She was shorter, finally giving him the chance of being the taller one. Her hands looked dainty, definitely not like her times as a warrior. Her cheeks were rounder and her lips thinner. She also was chubbier than the person he remembered. Instead of green and black, she dressed in dark blue and white.

But her knowing silver eyes changed very little. Older, wiser, silver.

And her smile also changed very little. Still made his chest swell in happiness.

“You were gone before I could say what I had to say.”

“I’d be gone before you anyways.” Oh, she might be a different person, but her core was the same. The very same way he and his group shared traits and quirks, she and her incarnations did too. And knowing that, he refused to let her go away before he could finish.

He’d learned to never do the same mistake twice.

“My dear.”

“I don’t think Malon will appreciate you calling me that.”

“If anything, she’d call you that herself.” He approached her, stopping only when he could easily bring her to a hug. “My dear, I never really had the chance to thank you for everything you did for me and my Hyrule. In between saving the world and finding Navi, I lost sight of one of the best people in my life. And for that, I’m sorry.”

“You’ve been forgiven long ago.”

“My dearest friend, my most trusted, the one who had _seen_ me, beyond my titles and beyond my burdens… I am sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me most.”

The day his best friend didn’t return home was a bad day. The day he found out the reason was ridden with desolation. The Hero of Time had cried more than he’d deemed capable of after years fighting Ganondorf, watching as Impa prepared her casket to go down and be part of the earth. Zelda cried by his side, her childhood friend looking as peaceful as a cat taking a nap, almost looking like she’d soon open her eyes and smile sheepishly, mumbling about her bad habit of sleeping anywhere. His lover, Malon, had hugged him hours to no end, when old nightmares found their way back to his mind, remade with newer terrors. And his own traitorous mind would remind him that he could’ve prevented that. He could have agreed to going with her that day. He could’ve let her be selfish _just that one time_.

“You’ve been forgiven long ago.”

“And I’m sorry it took me so long to finally tell you this.”

“You’ve been forgiven long ago.”

With that, the man hugged her. It wasn’t _her_. _Her_ hugs were much more rougher, and strong, calloused hands on his neck and back, his head in her neck. It felt like a shield that could protect him from anything. But it was her _soul_. So, for a few moments, he let himself remember, he let himself be caught by the memories he was so used to running away. He let himself be a man again, be a boy again, be just Link. Just Link.

There, in the arms of another’s Moon, he let time escape from his grasp, just a distasteful delirium of a tired man.

It’d go back to him anyways, as the clock, too, went round and round as a windmill.


End file.
